Key chain and coin holder article



June 30, 1959 J. J. SCHWARTZ I KEY CHAIN AND COIN HOLDER ARTICLE Filed April 5, 1957 INVENTOR JOHN J. SCHWARTZ ATTORNEY United States Patent KEY CHAIN AND COIN HOLDER ARTICLE John J. Schwartz, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to Brown & Bigelow, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application April 5, 1957, Serial No. 651,002

3 Claims. (Cl. 206-38) This invention relates to a new and improved device for retaining keys and holding coins that are used in parking meters. Two separate key chains are supported by the article, one chain on each end thereof to allow keys from one chain to be removed without disturbing keys from the other chain. Such an arrangement is very useful to motorists who, for example, wish to open the trunk of their car without removing the ignition key. It is manifest that other situations may arise when separable keys are desirable. The convenience of having coin-s ready and available for use in parking meters should be apparent to those who engage in urban driving. The present invention permits a motorist to have at hand a small number of coins for use in parking meters-the coins are securely lodged in a device to which are attached separate key chains.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and useful combination key and coin retainer.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means of keeping certain keys separate from other keys in a key and coin retainer.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a two-piece device for holding keys and coins, the coin retaining portion being releasably retained within the other portion.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel key chain and coin holder article characterized by a box-like outer shape and having means for slideably retaining one part within the other.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description and appended claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the coin and key holder;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the assembled device;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the device taken along line A-A of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the inner half of the device;

Figure 5 is a plan view similar to Figure 4 with the inner half being turned over to expose its underside;

Figure 6 shows an end view of the inner half taken from the open end, and

Figure 7 illustrates an exploded view of the combined coin and key holder.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 shows the invention fabricated of two parts preferably formed of polystyrene, tenite or other suitable material. The outer housing 10 has a tapered box-like shape with one end 10a closed and the opposite end 10b opened to slideably receive an inner casing 12. Key chain loop 11 is formed integrally with outer housing 10 at the closed end 10a and key chain loop 13 is formed integrally with the inner casing 12 at the closed end 12a thereof. Rectangular apertures 14 are formed on both sides of outer ICC housing 10 as shown in Figure 1 to facilitate opening of the device by finger pressure, as will be explained later on. Two key chains 15 are attached to each half of the device as shown in Figure 1.

The structural details of the inner casing 12 are shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings. In Figure 4 the casing 12 is in its normal upright position with the inner surface 21a of the bottom 21 exposed to view. In Figure 5 the casing 12 is turned over so that the outer surface 21b of the bottom 21 is in view.

Inner casing 12 has longitudinal side members 24 disposed in a spaced parallel relationship from closed end 12a and terminating in serrated fingers 16 that are flexibly extended from the center thereof. The bottom 21 of casing 12 is characterized by four cut-out portions 22 that are rectangular in shape. Strip-like portion 23 connects side member 24 with the bottom 21. Figure 5 illustrates these features. As shown in Figure 5 side members 24 are separated from the bottom 21 by slits 22a that extend from point 22b on cut-out portions 22 to the open end of inner casing 12. These slits allow side members 24 to be flexibly extended from strip 23 so as to yieldably engage the inner walls of housing 10. Side members 24 have serrated inclined outer fingers 16 formed therewith. The inner surfaces of side members 24 have pin type lugs 20 formed thereon in oppositely spaced relationship to the outer serrated fingers 16. Four 1 rectangular shaped lugs 18 project inwardly from side members 24 as shown in Figures 4 and 7. Lugs 18 may be formed in line with the cut-out portions 22 of the bottom 21 to facilitate manufacturing economy as lugs 18 and cut-out portions 22 may be formed in one operation. The upper surfaces of lugs 18 are co-planar with the upper edges of side members 24.

Outer housing 10 is slightly tapered from its open end 10b to its closed end 10a. As shown in Figure 2 the degree of taper varies from a relatively gradual taper (in the order of 0.010 inch difference in internal Width) from end 10b to shoulder 14a of aperture 14 to a more pronounced taper from shoulder 14a to closed end 10a. In the embodiment shown this difference amounts to about a 3 angular change in the outline of housing 10. This shape causes inner casing 12 to be frictionally restrained during insertion into outer housing 10 and also permits serrated fingers 16 of inner casing 12 to obtrude themselves through apertures 14, to be easily grasped by the fingers.

In the use of this invention inner casing 12 is introduced into the outer housing 10 in the manner shown in Figure l. Serrated fingers 16 engage the inner side wall of housing 10 as inner casing 12 is inserted therein. Flexible side members 24 are biased inwardly until the device is fully closed when serrated fingers 16 snap into apertures 14. Shoulders 16a of serrated fingers 16 engage corresponding shoulders 14a of housing 10 to prevent inner casing 12 from sliding free. When it is desired to separate the two structures serrated fingers 16 are pressed together and the inner casing 12 may be removed by grasping key chain 15 attached thereto.

Four coins for use in parking meters may be kept in the inner casing 12rectangular shaped lugs 18 keep the coins from falling out between side members when inner casing 12 is freed from outer housing 10. The pin type lugs 20 formed upon the inner surfaces of fingers 16 bias the inserted coins in a longitudinal direction to keep them from dropping through the open end of the inner casing 12. Slight finger pressure on a coin is required to free it from inner casing 12.

Although the invention as shown is made of plastic material it is apparent that other materials may be used. It should also be understood that the terminology used in the specification is for the purpose of description and Patented June 30, 1959 3 illustration, the scope of the invention being indicated in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a separable key holder adapted to provide storage for coins; used in parking meters and the like, the combinationconsisting of an elongated hollow box-like outer casing substantially rectangular in shape having a closed end and an open end, said casing being' providedwithan integral key chain loop at the closedendthereof and having vertical side wallsand" a horizontal top and bottom surface, the side walls extending from the closed end of said casing and terminating intermediate the closed end and the openend thereof to define a pair of opposed rectangular openings in the side walls adjacent the closed end of said casing, an inner coin box adapted toslidably fit within said outer casing, saidcoin box having spaced vertical side walls and an end wall iii-- tegral therewith, said coin box further having abottom member integral with the end wall and connected to the side walls intermediate the ends thereof to provide inwardly movable flex-ibl'e fingers at the other extremity of saidside Walls, a plurality of spaced horizontal coin stops integral with the top of the side walls to keep-coins from falling out of said coin box when said coin box is separated from said outer casing, vertical pins integraf with the inner surface of the side walls spaced remotely from the end wall to prevent coins from sliding out of said coin box, finger engageable means on the outer surface of the side walls cooperable with the rectangular openings in said' outer casing, and a loop for a key chain integrally attached to the outer surface of the end wall of said coin box.

2. A key and coin holder comprising a box-like outer body having one open end, loop means for supporting a key chain formed integrally at the closed end of said outer body, oppositely disposed shoulder means formed in the side Walls of said outer body, an inner member slidably engageable within said outer body adapted to releasably retain a plurality of coins, vertically disposed 0 side walls extending longitudinally of said inner member,

said side walls havingresilient free ends engageable with said shoulder means on said outer body to releasably lock said inner member within said outer body, a plurality of inwardly extending coin retaining lugs formed on said side walls of said inner member, loop means supporting a key chain formed integrally at the closed end of said inner member, and vertical pins positioned on the inner surfaces of said side walls to prevent the accidental discharge of coins through the open end of said inner member.

3'. An article for retaining keys and coins comprising an elongated substantially rectangular hollow plastic outer body, key retaining means formed on said outer body, shoulder means formed at one end of said outer body, a detachable coin receiving inner member slidably disposed within said outer body, key retaining means formed on said inner member, outwardly biased flexible locking fingers on said inner member engageable with said shoulder means on said outer body, inwardly projecting horizontal lugs" afiixed to said flexible locking fingers adapted to retain coins within said inner member, and vertical pins disposed on the inner surface of said locking fingers to prevent the accidental discharge of coins from said inner member;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 447,984- Theuerner Mar. 10, 1891 874,957 Godley .Dec. 3-1,. 1907 1,163,775 Rouse Dec. 14, 119-15 1,326,055 Hirsch Dec. 23, 1.919 1,567,021 Detlefsen et a1. Dec. 22, 1925- 1,925;316 Fullmer Sept. 5, 1933 2,553,904 Eslick May 22, -1

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,008,818 France Feb. 27-, 1 952 

